Sadio Mane, who transitioned from Liverpool to Bayern Munich in July 2022 and significantly contributed to their Bundesliga victory in 2022-23, showcased his prowess yet again.
The ex-Liverpool striker shone on the pitch, netting two goals as Senegal outplayed Brazil in a friendly match hosted in Lisbon, Portugal.
West Ham’s talented midfielder Lucas Paqueta initially gave Brazil the lead in the 11th minute, but Habib Diallo swiftly equalized for Senegal.
The turning point of the game came early in the second half when an own goal by Marquinhos put Senegal in the lead. Mane further solidified this lead with a goal at the 57th-minute mark.
Brazil found some hope as Marquinhos managed to score a proper goal to narrow the deficit. However, Mane sealed the victory for Senegal by converting a late penalty.
The friendly took place at Estadio Jose Alvalade, the home stadium of Sporting Lisbon. The starting line-ups included nine players who regularly feature in England’s top-flight leagues.
Starting for Brazil alongside Paqueta were Manchester City’s Ederson as goalkeeper, Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle as midfielders, and Tottenham’s forward, Richarlison.
On the other side, Senegal’s line-up boasted players such as Nottingham Forest’s defender Moussa Niakhate, Kalidou Koulibaly, a centre-back from Chelsea, Nampalys Mendy, a Leicester midfielder, and Watford’s forward, Ismaila Sarr.
This match came on the heels of Lucas Paqueta’s significant contribution to West Ham’s Europa Conference League victory earlier this month.
Game Details
Home Team: Brazil
Away Team: Senegal
Game Statistics
Possession: Brazil – 62%, Senegal – 38%
Shots: Brazil – 11, Senegal – 7
Shots on Target: Brazil – 5, Senegal – 4
Corners: Brazil – 3, Senegal – 3
Fouls: Brazil – 13, Senegal – 18
